OT: Talk to me about wrestling

Raw had a lot of good wrestling last night. They're spending way too much time on the Cena, AJ stuff. I guess you still have to fill three hours.

I laughed really hard at Big Show breaking the chair. Never have I seen something that should have been awesome look so awkward. Couldn't he have just sat in it?
 
Raw has been a bit more promising of late.The Shield is awesome. Individually, each member is unique and brings something different to the table. When Nexus was doing this invasion thing it was too many people at once, and none of them was as intriguing as Dean Ambrose. Now onto my random thoughts.

The Miz as a face is really falling flat with me. He just has no edge, which is pretty much an epidemic among WWE faces. He's like Billy Bush or something.

I hate Ryback. There are tons of guys who are better in the ring and on the mic. I will be bitter about this push for a long time. Vince loves big guys.

Dolph Ziggler in a ladder match terrifies me. I see lots of dangerous spots in the near future. Yet no one will care because the WWE holds him back by having him lose to every main eventer.

Kane's mask looks like a fruit rollup to me.
 
Last night was, without a doubt, the weirdest Raw I've ever seen. Weird commercial breaks, weird finish, just... freaking weird. The show was a mess. Too much of a mess to have been by accident, I hope. Right after a PPV that was by most accounts a big success.
 
I've got a lot of catching up to do.

This week's Raw I thought was great. Lots of filler, as always. But the strong segments were strong enough for me to finally want to tune in next week. I mean, I always tune in next week, but I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. In short, I marked out.

Cena Ziggler was an excellent match. Every near fall was sold well, and felt purposeful. The thing I hate though, is how Cena kicks out of a supetkick and a zig zag, but then out of nowhere he just hits the AA and it's over. I know that's Cena, but it is going to be very difficult to sell Ziggler as a legitimate threat if he keeps getting jobbed out like Del Rio. Ivdon't care if they need to pair him with midcard guys, but he needs to win some matches to justify his place.

I'm hoping Orton turns heel, because he's just so much better at it. As is most of the roster, unfortunately. They need faces in a big way.

Punk's promo was awesome. It wasn't for everyone. He relies on insider terminology to cater to the "smart" fans like me and the other people who cheer him despite his being the most hateable heel in years. But unlike the "pipe bomb" he didn't ever really break character or say anything to contradict any storylines. But I don't think Tyler Cenashirt probably picked up on a lot of stuff.

The back and forth with Rock and Punk was good- could have been better, and I really believe it will be. Rock tried to be funny when he should have been serious. And the insults he had weren't pointed enough. Cookiepuss? What is that supposed to mean, and why would anyone be seriously offended by it? That said, he's still the second best promo guy active at the moment. And when he got serious, it was magic, and I marked out. I can't wait for next week.

Holy crap, I forgot about the TLC match. Lots of good spots, and a sensible if predictable finish. I don't hate Ryback as much as I did, because I've accepted the fact that he's over, and that's what WWE needs. I just want someone to take him down so he can be worked with. Anyway, this match was great

Also, I would like Big Show to be disqualified for a closed fist punch.

I typed all this on a freaking phone while Mitchell recorded guitar. Neat.
 
Scott, That "cookiepuss" thing was ridiculous. Is this new incarnation of "jabroni"? In addition, I did think that Rock should have purposed himself in a more intimidating and serious manner.

I cannot stand the Big Show. I want him to lose his title. I'd still like to see him wrestle, but I feel as though he's one of the least exciting champions these days.

Not a huge Ziggler fan. I'm still on the Cena bandwagon. Have always been. The feud between them is a good storyline, though. Although I find it hard to take anyone with Ziggler's haircut seriously. AJ makes me laugh every episode- she plays a very good creepy sadomasochistic psycho girlfriend. the kinda girl that ends up snipping your balls off with rusty scissors in a horror movie. Asami Yamazaki in nature.

I'm looking forward to seeing some fresh faces soon. I really enjoy the team of rogues known as The Shield. They bring a lot of excitement and mystery to the table regarding who is "employing" them so to speak. Big E Langston pisses me off to no end. If he bails his menage e trois partner Ziggler out one more time, I'm going to pull out my hair! Makes for good drama and discussion, though.

I enjoyed the TLC match quite a bit. It's hard for me to recollect most of my feelings regarding a lot of the storylines and fights from Raw now that it's Friday. I'll get back to you tonight after Smackdown with my opinions.

This weekend's main event was decent. Don't know if you caught that on Wednesday :kickass:
 
Briefly:

I don't know why, but Del Rio's face turn works for me. I mean, he didn't change anything, andthere was no storyline to turn him, and in general, I'm not a big fan. Oh. I know why. Compared to the Big Show, everyone is my favorite. Except Khali.

I was unusually happy to see Orton, too. And less excited than usual to see the Shield. Who I whiffed on before. I love them. Ambrose as a character is phenomenal. Rollins is great in the ring, and I really like Reigns as a beastly type, but not an invincible one like some of the other beastly guys are presented.

Eve leaving was legit. The divas feel very disposable to me. Not because I'm not a fan of the division, though I'm not. The characters are mostly undeveloped. That's where losing Eve hurts. She and AJ viewers know. The champ and the others? Not really at all. Okay, enough women's wrestling.

Ziggler Cena was another great match with another "Cena kicks out of everything" storyline. I believe that in most cases, finishers should finish guys. Save it for the huge matches and title matches that really mean something. I think you cheapen the effect when you do it in non-title tv matches. Nonetheless, it was a great match. The DDT off the top rope was awesome.

The Rock was awesome. I didn't think the back and forth between he and Punk was long enough to believably warrant fisticuffs, but it definitely was well done by both.
 
Couldn't agree more with everything you said above.

I do enjoy the Del Rio role change. 3 weeks ago, I thought he was one of the biggest bozo's out there. He has steadily grown on me, especially after stripping Big Show of his title. I cannot stand that man. Khali in my opinion is okay. But I feel like his abilities due to his size are extremely limited and the 1-sided form of wrestling he performs is dull.

I'm not too upset that Eve left. I was ready for that title to be given up anyway. I really enjoy Kaitlyn. She feels a lot more real to me, which provides an interesting dynamic to the rich world of storytelling in wrestling.

The Cena kicking out of everything is really entertaining. Although the resolutions at the end usually don't make a great deal of sense considering the finishers should have nailed him at least twice.

Here's the big questions I have on my mind- Where the hell is R-Truth and Ryback? They're like ghosts these days.

Really enjoyed Main Event the other night too. Antonio continues to be the most hated man in American wrestling, but it really helps to pump me up in rooting for his opponents everytime.

Looking forward to Smackdown tonight. I'm gonna try to make my notations here on the forum as its going on so I don't slack off, wait a couple days, and forget the key elements of what went on due to 12 ounce curls blurring my memory after the show :)
 
We here in the Riley household are definitely pumped for the rumble. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday nights are our "family nights" here. I got my girlfriend and her daughter into wrestling and now we look forward to every event. The rumble is gonna rule! Great matches beforehand too!

Scott... you gotta catch up on this thread, my friend! Raw, ME, and Smackdown rocked this week! :kickass:
 
Thank you, Brock! Vince deserves that IMO. They may sell mania, (I'm not so sure about that), but then what, after Taker is gone and Rock is gone and Triple H (who I'm expecting to show up) goes back to the office? I like those guys (save for Rock, who I really hate that I really hate.), but you need to elevate your current product if you want to ensure the viability of your product in the future.